Let Me Protect You
by Galerians
Summary: Ren is searching for something that he lacked, and he is quite surprised when he finds it inside a girl named Iron Maiden Jeanne. And to his obliviousness, she also finds what she yearned from the young Tao. More... I shall update...


The first contribution I made for the Shaman King section, and pairing I set here is Ren x Jeanne. I actually made this in Indonesian at the beginning, but the lack of readers compelled me to translate it into English so more will be able to read it, and I really appreciate anyone who read this. But pay no hesitation; I really did my best at the translation, so I assure this fic will be in the same quality with the original, if not more.

Even if it is a canon pairing, somehow Jeanne and Ren's relationship is pretty vague in the manga. That is why I made this, just my opinion on how their relationship started. Come on, you're also curious, aren't you?

Well, enough of my babbling, so let's get started! Please enjoy!

•

**Alone Together**

Ren stood alone in solitary, accompanied only by the silence of night and the noisy waves of sea. He chose to let his chest bared; showing a fairly muscular body that had been scarred by hundreds of practices and fights, a Tao tattoo was engraved at his back. His black upper garment was abandoned not too far from him, flailing at the brush of wind. His golden orbs gazed afar, but not focused at anything in particular, as if he was seeing things that were invisible to others. He looked melancholic yet his face was intricate, obscure of any expressions. A heavy breath occasionally escaped his mouth.

Yes, he was sad.

"Why am I weak…?"

He asked not to anyone or anybody, as it was indeed directed to only himself. It felt somewhat painful, as he recalled all fights he had gone through these past few days. The victory they had achieved was unable to soothe his heart. And was there any meaning in victory, if in the end it couldn't sweep away all his fear and sadness?

"Grh…"

The grunt was low in volume, but it echoed through every corner of the beach, which had been wrapped in silence just until a moment ago, except for the sound of waves crashed the shore back and forth. Cold night wind caressed his scarred but sturdy body, it was piercing and chilling, but in the end meaningless. He cared not at anything, but the pain that rooted like a parasite inside his chest.

As the night grew darker and the wind became colder, he still stood his grounds, with nothing to faze him. And that was until he felt a presence, approaching him slowly but sure.

"Iron Maiden Jeanne…" he scoffed, and even if his tone was quite cynical and at his usual harshness, the young girl just did a smile for her respond. "What are you doing here…?"

"Oh, I just find this night beautiful, with the full moon and fresh air…" the girl with frilly pink night gown answered, her soft smile still decorated her ever-so-lovely face. The young Tao just snorted an "Hmph!" at her remark. "What about you, Tao Ren?"

"It's not your business…" growled the boy with tongari before picking his clothes up from the idle sand, preparing to leave. "…I'm outta here…"

Ren walked to the direction Jeanne had came, shutting his eyes as tight as possible so he wouldn't need to gaze at the red orbs, afraid of failing his will to leave. Wait a minute… did he just say 'afraid'? Ha! A Tao afraid of nothing! But then what? Why did he can't look at her eyes? What hindered him from doing it?

Was it because her eyes were always full of sadness?

"Are you still suffering, Tao Ren?"

Ren's steps stopped abruptly, and when he opened his eyes he found that his ground wasn't quite far from the the girl's petite body, in fact they were standing side by side. But no matter what, he still refused to look at that face, or to be exact, to gaze at those beautiful red orbs.

"You... you don't know what the hell you're talking abo—"

"Am I wrong?" the girl halted, and the only growl Ren let out was her answer. "If I'm wrong, than why did you deny it?"

"Who said I denied anything!? And stop playing my teachers!"

"Your rise in volume is the proof..." continued the girl, as Ren started to realize that thois wouldn't end with his victory. "Answer me, Tao Ren. Are you still suffering?"

"I said stop saying things like that!!"

His shout was stopped in the instance their eyes met. The young man was forced to quit his entire scowl and anger, for he found that the red orbs were now teary. The young Tao ground his teeth, and gave the girl his cold shoulder.

"How can I not...?" he said faintly. "How can I not suffering...?"

"..."

"I'm so weak it feels so painful, and I'm such a loser it almost feels better to just die and go away..." he continued in an even voice, if only the girl hadn't known better. In the depth of his voice, she captured a very vague emotion, which was most certainly… doubt. "Compared to Chocolove, compared to Horo horo... compared to Yoh, I'm nothing..."

"Why do you still think like that? Didn't you guys beat Hao?"

"Yes, we won. Yet somehow, it didn't bring me any peace," he replied, smiling in bitterness. "To reach that one victory, I had to be revived for more than once… pathetic..."

"Pathetic...?"

"Because before we entered the plant," he once again gazed at Jeanne. "I was the one who said, 'Anyone that dies here doesn't deserve to be the 5 Warriors…"

"And since I died when fighting Blon, I have had no right to fight the Shaman King…"

"But you didn't lose, right...?"

"I already said, what is the meaning if I won with such weakness?!" Ren screamed at the peak of his voice. "What is the meaning of winning, if I'm still weak to this very day?!"

"Are you…?"

"What do you mean 'are you'?!"

"Are you truly, weak…?"

Jeanne brought herself closer to Ren who got petrified, his mouth opened but no sound was audible. She lifted her hand and touched Ren's chest.

"Shamans' power can't be determined by only their furyoku and the spirit's reiryoku. But also by the power of mental or mind … that is, the power of heart..."

"Is it true that this Ren is weak? This Ren, who fought with neither reward nor recognition, the Ren who was brave enough to protect the world by endangered his own life. And even if he have to die repeatedly, he never stop fighting," her eyes never left him as those orbs continued to gaze upward at the golden eyes of Tao Ren, never once it glanced to other direction. "Is it true that this heart which is now willing to care and love… weak?"

"W-what are you talking about…!?"

"I'm speaking about you, the past you... and the present you…"

Ren was silent, his eyes that stared at Jeanne showed curiosity, and also a challenge. What did this girl know about him, anyway?

"You were always a person that chased only power, with the smallest care at anything else. You considered your spirit as only an object, not more than a weapon that had to obey all your order. You hurt and even killed without hesitation, only for searching what you called 'strength'. Your heart was ice, cold and frozen."

"But look at you now. You maybe still searching for power, but you never act arbitrarily anymore. You hurt no longer, and you're even willing to protect. Your way of thinking has changed and now you're starting to value life..." as she spoke, the wind stroked her hairs. And in front of her, an impressed face was attached on Ren's face, or more like agape, stunned at the silver haired girl's words. "Since you met Yoh... and all your friends, your frozen heart have melted, and now, it transforms into enormous warmth. You're willing to care for other's sadness; you're willing to form a bond with your friend. You're willing to let affection and love filled your heart for the first time in your life…"

"And once again, I shall ask. Is it true that _this_ Ren weak?"

Her hands moved more upward, as they began to softly caressed Ren's cheeks.

"Don't ever consider yourself as weak anymore. Because it's not true…"

"U-uh, w-what the hell are you doing?!" exclaimed Ren as he warded her hands off his cheeks and leapt backward, earning them a fair distance. His face was burning with heat and blushing profusely, as if he had stayed too long in an onsen. "B-besides, how did you know that much about me?!"

"X-Laws always researched about their enemies… and in the S.F. you were certainly included in that classification..." Jeanne explained with her smile never left her lips. "And since I was the leader, willing or not I have to read those files too, right?"

Ren's eyes widened for a moment, but it shut again. After thinking for a while, he snorted, and then gave out a small smile.

"Hmph, so what? Are you saying that I become a good person now? Ha, such thing is impossible!"

"I see you are forgotten. Don't you remember that no evil person can see spirits? That is why I'm sure that in reality, you're kind at heart."

"H-huh, don't think the words of a child like yourself can knock my heart..." said Ren after keeping quiet for awhile, still with his cynical tone, even though this time his smile looked… honest. "You talked so much about me, as if you don't have any problem whatsoever in your mind…"

And at this, Jeanne's smile vanished, replaced by a slight frown in her forehead, indicating her confusion.

"Me? I have no problems..."

"Heh, say what you want. As if I'll believe that..." Ren mocked, as Jeanne's frown grew deeper. "It is ourselves which we know the least, isn't it?"

"W-what do you mean, Tao Ren?"

This time it was Ren who approached the young Iron Maiden Jeanne, and he kept coming closer until their distance was only a fist length. Now that they were this close, Jeanne realized just how tall the boy was, as he towered 25 cm or more from the top of her head which was only as tall as the young man's shoulder.

He suddenly executed a bowing movement, and their forehead almost crashed at each other with their nose only an inch away. The golden orbs met the red ones in the closest distance they had ever taken. Subconsciously, Jeanne's hand clutched the fabric on her chest, as something peculiar happened inside her.

Her heart was pounding, for the first time in her life.

"Those eyes were always filled with sadness..." he proceeded to speak, Jeanne could feel his warm breath with the smell of mint blew on her face. "So deep and melancholic I can certainly feel it…"

"W-what?!"

"Bye." He suddenly left, continuing his intention to go back to his lodging place.

"Wait! Tao Ren, I said wait!"

For the first time in her fourteen years of age, Jeanne spoke in a higher volume, or in other word, screaming. This was also the first time she felt the burning sensation on her cheeks, it felt unfamiliar even if she knew what it was. This… was the very first time she had ever lost her composure when talking to someone. She was blushing red, and before tonight the Iron Maiden Jeanne had never blushed even once

"Hahaha, just go to bed, Jeanne. A child such as yourself shouldn't be awake at this late."

And he left, with a soft smile on his lips.

•

Since this is the translated version, you can say that I expect it to be not flawless. So please, if you find anything wrong in it, the errors of grammar or else, just point it out. I also beg you for the review, as I need your critics to become a better author fic.

Well then, see ya in the next chapter!


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